HC Deb 26 November 1956 vol 561 cc17-8W
101. Mr. Awbery

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware of the shortage of male and female nurses in our mental hospitals, and that partly trained and untrained nurses are undertaking duties which normally they would not perform; and what steps are being taken to improve the staffing, conditions of service and wages in order to encourage both men and women to enter this profession.

Miss Hornsby-Smith

Yes. An account of the measures taken to improve the staffing position is given below.

The Nurses and Midwives Whitley Council has agreed as from 1st April of this year increased salaries for all grades of mental nursing staff, with higher increments for most grades and substantially increased training allowances for student mental nurses. Conditions of service are at present under review by the Council.

The hospital authorities, who have the primary responsibility for staffing have been urged to pay special attention to the following matters:

  1. (a) the reduction of the rate of wastage of student nurses by—
    1. (i) more careful selection,
    2. (ii) the employment of adequate numbers of nursing assistants;
    3. (iii) the cultivation of good staff relationships at all levels;
    4. (iv) the improvement of the quality of the training of student nurses;
  2. (b) the provision of courses of instruction for nursing assistants;
  3. (c) the careful introduction of recruits to the work in mental and mental deficiency hospitals;
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  4. (d) the arrangement of periodical study days for nursing staff and the release of senior nurses for courses in administration;
  5. (e) the provision of refresher courses for trained nurses of all grades;
  6. (f) the secondment of student nurses between general and mental hospitals for part of their training (7 such schemes had been established at 31st December. 1955. and others are in train);
  7. (g) the promotion of experimental training schemes, providing both general and mental nursing qualifications in a reduced period of time (There are now about 60 such schemes in operation);
  8. (h) the provision of adequate facilities for mental nurses who wish to take post-registration study and experience;
  9. (i) the encouragement of young men to become male student nurses at 18 years of age with deferment of their National Service until they have completed their training, and the promise of employment in a nursing capacity during such service.

My right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour and National Service is, through his nursing appointments service and otherwise, giving special attention to the mental and mental deficiency nursing fields. The mental health exhibition which was first staged at the Central Hall, Westminster, about a year ago has since been shown in 29 provincial centres, and has had much success in enlisting public interest in the problems of mental health.